My
interests are focused on exceptional children with an "atypical"
background outside of the social/cultural mainstream, those
who were underserved, subjected to deprivation, maltreatment,
and abuse in their early formative years, e.g. internationally
adopted post-institutionalized children. Following Vygotsky's
appeal, I am looking for alternatives to existing tests and
clinical procedures to evaluate their needs, and means of rehabilitation,
remediation, and compensation. I believe that contemporary psycho-educational
assessment and remediation must be interdisciplinary, culturally
inclusive, and technologically advanced. B. Gindis Ph.D.

This information
is provided with the expressed verbal permission and approval
of Gita Lvovna Vygodskaya

1973 - present Retirement and part-time research
on theory and history of psychology 1960 - 1973 Senior Research
Associate at the Institute of Defectology of the Academy of Education,
Moscow 1959 - 1960 Teaching and counseling in a special
school for deaf children, Moscow 1951 - 1956 Junior Research
Associate and a teacher of psychology at the high school level

It
is my honor and pleasure to introduce Dr. Gita L. Vygodskaya to the
readers of Remedial and Special Education. Gita L. Vygodskaya, the
eldest daughter of Lev S. Vygotsky, was 9 years old when her father
died from tuberculosis at the age of 37. Lev Vygotsky lived during
a turbulent revolutionary time. He worked in psychology only 10 years
(1924-34) accomplishing enormous achievements: he wrote about 200
pieces of innovative scientific literature, founded a powerful scientific
school of thought (now known as the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory),
and laid down the foundation for several new directions in contemporary
psychology worldwide. When he died, he left reams of unpublished manuscripts.
Soon after his untimely death the Stalinist regime had his works banned
and his name deleted from the annals of science. For a long 20 years,
his widow and two daughters kept those manuscripts in several boxes
under their beds in their tiny two-bedroom apartment in Moscow. They
lived through the trepidation of World War II, the hunger and misery
of the postwar years, and a constant fear of persecution that the
Western reader can not even imagine - saving the intangible treasure
of the manuscripts of the person whom they knew as husband and father.
After her mothers death, Gita assumed the burden of saving her
fathers manuscripts. She managed to live to better times and
with her help, the first collection of selected works of Lev Vygotsky
was published in 1956. This book was translated and published in the
USA under the now well known title "Mind in Society". In
the early 1980s, she was the major (often invisible) force behind
a group of prominent former students of Vygotsky who prepared the
six-volume collection of his works published between 1983 and 1987
in Russia.. Many manuscripts were published for the first time and
only a few people were aware of who saved them from being lost forever.
Gita continued her tireless mission of collecting and saving her fathers
works for years. And finally, in 1996 in Moscow a book was released
titled: "Lev Semenovich Vygotsky. Life. Work. Brush Strokes of
the Portrait." This is the most detailed and honest scientific-based
biography of the great scholar. It contains documented memories of
colleagues, students, and friends along with unique first-time published
letters, diaries, and personal notes. One chapter, titled "Through
the Eyes of His Daughter", contains very personal (indeed, heartbreaking)
memories of a daughter who always remembered her father as a young
man. The world of scientific psychology owes an outstanding debt to
this courageous woman!

Gita herself worked as a psychologist. She received
her doctorate from Moscow University in 1959 and worked in the field
of special education (with deaf children) for many years. Her daughter
Elena is a prominent psychologist in Russia. In addition, Gitas
oldest grandson is currently in a doctorate program in psychology
continuing the family tradition. His name is Lev in honor of his
great-grandfather.

I have the pleasure of knowing Gita as a personal
friend. Her kindness and intelligence are truly legendary. But what
really amazes and attracts many people to her is her optimism and
joy for life in spite of so much grief and the many tragedies that
have befallen her. Her crystal-clear and vivid memory of her great
father helps us to better understand the priceless treasure of this
mans scientific legacy. I hope the readers will feel this
from the small segment published in this issue.